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Ref Watch: Dermot Gallagher's verdict on penalty calls in both Manchester and Merseyside derbies

during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on December 10, 2017 in Manchester, England.
Image: Did Ander Herrera dive? And what of Everton's penalty? Dermot Gallaghers gives his verdict on a variety of contentious calls in the Premier League

With contentious calls in both Manchester and Merseyside derbies on Sunday, Dermot Gallagher has his say in this week's Ref Watch.

Jose Mourinho labelled Manchester City "lucky" after their 2-1 victory over city rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, with Ander Herrera seeing yellow for simulation instead of earning a spot-kick for the hosts.

Meanwhile, Liverpool were pegged back late on when Everton were handed a penalty at Anfield, but was Jurgen Klopp right to be aggrieved?

Read on to see Dermot's verdict on the weekend's biggest incidents and if they were handled properly by the officials...

Man Utd 1-2 Man City

INCIDENT: Jose Mourinho believes United should have had a late penalty when 2-1 down to City, but Herrera was booked for diving after the incident with Nicolas Otamendi.

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Did Herrera dive?

DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct call.

DERMOT SAYS: If you watch the incident, Herrera goes over his own foot and Otamendi doesn't move. It's got to be deliberate, and it's quite clearly not a deliberate trip. For me, I think it was quite clearly not a penalty.

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INCIDENT: Gabriel Jesus went down in the United box despite no contact from either Herrera or Chris Smalling, though the City forward saw his attempt to win a penalty go unpunished.

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Jesus dive goes unpunished

DERMOT'S VERDICT: Not a penalty, but not a yellow.

DERMOT SAYS: This is absolutely right. Michael Oliver was on his game right from the start - it was a masterclass. [It's not a yellow] because there was a little bit of contact. We have to be careful with a number of simulation acts over the last few weeks, and what we're looking to do is punish the ones which are clear acts of simulation. There is contact, but it's not a penalty. The player goes into him. It's similar to the Herrera one.

Liverpool 1-1 Everton

INCIDENT: With Liverpool leading 1-0, Dejan Lovren was adjudged to have pushed Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the box, with Wayne Rooney scoring the resulting spot-kick to secure a 1-1 draw for Everton.

DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct call.

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An angry Dejan Lovren had to be held back by team-mates

DERMOT SAYS: I think it is a penalty. It's reminiscent of the penalty Aaron Ramsey got against Burnley a few weeks ago. It's not the biggest push in the world but if you put your arms on the back like that, the referee is bound to give a penalty, and he was correct to do so. It was another quality performance in a big derby, this time from referee Craig Pawson.

INCIDENT: And while Jurgen Klopp furiously disagreed with the penalty call, the Liverpool boss also thinks Gylfi Sigurdsson should have seen red for a first-half challenge on Jordan Henderson, which saw the Everton midfielder booked.

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Should Sigurdsson see red?

DERMOT'S VERDICT: Yellow correct, not a red.

DERMOT SAYS: Yellow card. If you're going to send someone off it has to be serious foul play, it's got to be endangering the safety of an opponent. It was a reckless tackle, but not dangerous and I think the referee called it absolutely correct.

Burnley 1-0 Watford

INCIDENT: Marvin Zeegelaar was dismissed in the 39th minute at a snowy Turf Moor for a two-footed tackle on Steven Defour.

DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision.

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Was Zeegelaar red the right call?

DERMOT SAYS: When you go in like that, full force with both feet, there's little you can do but produce a red card. If you watch when he comes in, he goes in with both feet and has hit his opponent on the ankles with his studs.

Crystal Palace 2-2 Bournemouth

INCIDENT: Luka Milivojevic levelled from the penalty spot after Wilfried Zaha was brought down by Asmir Begovic, while Christian Benteke went on to miss a late spot-kick after Charlie Daniels was deemed to have fouled Zaha in the box.

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Crystal Palace 2-2 Bournemouth

DERMOT'S VERDICT: First call correct, second call wrong - but only after seeing replay.

DERMOT SAYS: [The first] - the goalkeeper has come out and spread his body, there's no need to go down and once he makes that challenge he has to get the ball, and quite clearly he doesn't.

The second - It depends where you look at it from. From the referee's view, I think that's a penalty, when you see it from behind the goal, it's not so clear. That's where you're at the behest of the angle you had. The referee can't see the angle from behind the goal, which says it probably isn't a penalty.

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Benteke fluffs late penalty!
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